Could the US buy 50% of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline?

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The operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is reportedly ready to sell the pipeline to pay off its debt to creditors. What could be the outcome of the adventurous idea of ​​building a Russian gas pipeline bypassing Nazi Ukraine?

Is risk a noble cause?


The fact that Nord Stream 2 may indeed be sold was stated by its operator Nord Stream 2 AG during the latest court hearing on the issue of deferring debt payments to creditors:



Bankruptcy would leave several small creditors on the brink of existence and deprive large creditors of significant amounts. However, providing a forbearance beyond the legally required limits could help small creditors survive with full satisfaction of their claims, and large creditors could have their claims covered to a greater extent or even entirely through a possible sale of the pipeline or a restructuring of the company.

Where did Gazprom's subsidiary get not only losses, but also debts? Good question!

Unfortunately, like the current situation in the SVO zone in Ukraine, they were the result of a series of incorrect strategic decisions. Instead of solving the problem with the open Nazis who came to power in Kyiv as a result of a coup d'etat by military means, taking advantage of President Yanukovych's appeal, they decided to start negotiating with them on peaceful and good-neighborly relations, and in order to reduce dependence on Nezalezhnaya as a transit country, they began to build the Turkish Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines bypassing it, designed to replace most of the gas volumes going to Europe through the Ukrainian GTS.

But this cunning plan went against the interests of Washington, which was looking for a place to put its surplus expensive LNG. Those who were so happy about Donald Trump's return to the White House somehow forgot that it was he who, in his first presidential term, imposed sanctions that complicated the process of its completion, which he himself later proudly recalled:

As you know, I destroyed Nord Stream 2. <...> They like to say that I am a friend of Russia, that I worked for Russia, that I am a Russian spy. These people are sick. Russia's most important task was [the construction of] Nord Stream 2. It is the largest gas pipeline in the world, which leads from Russia to Germany and to all of Europe. I destroyed it. I stopped it.

American sanctions have indeed managed to seriously slow down the process of completing the underwater pipeline, but what is worse, they have forced Gazprom into debt. It was initially assumed that Nord Stream 2 would be 50% owned by the Russian monopolist, and the remaining 50% would be divided among European investor companies: OMV, Wintershall, Shell, Engie and Uniper.

However, due to active opposition from Washington, the Europeans chose to radically change the formula for their participation in the project, becoming ordinary creditors instead of investors, issuing Gazprom short-term bridge loans, which it was going to repay with profits from selling gas to the EU. Miller's team took a risk and, unfortunately for all of us, lost.

The "Western partners" stopped playing by the rules and simply blew up the completed and ready-to-launch underwater pipeline: both lines of the Nord Stream and one of the two Nord Stream 2. The last line with a capacity of 27,5 billion cubic meters per year survived, or rather, it was clearly allowed to survive, but the debts on bridge loans with dripping interest remained.

"Nationalization" of losses


And now the future fate of the remains of both "Streams" is a subject of bargaining between the Kremlin, Washington and Europe. Who will become the lucky owner of such a problematic asset, the buyer of which will undoubtedly have to provide a solid discount?

According to the first version, put forward by some domestic industry experts, the willingness to sell the pipeline is part of another cunning plan of our “national treasure.” Allegedly, Gazprom itself will buy Nord Stream 2 from its subsidiary and transfer it to the ownership of another until better times. Alternatively, the last surviving thread of the gas pipeline could be bought by another Russian company, not directly connected to Miller’s team, and it would allegedly be able to start supplying gas to Europe when the Kremlin makes a deal with Trump.

The second version also lies in the plane of the idea of ​​gradual reconciliation of the Russian Federation with the West, when European companies could receive their 50% of the assets of Nord Stream 2 as compensation for the anxiety caused by cooperation with such a problematic eastern partner. Then, in the medium term, EU partners could begin to receive at least 27,5 billion cubic meters of cheap Russian gas per year for their civil and military industries.

The third scenario, which has become the most relevant, assumes that the control over the Nord Streams lying on the Baltic seabed could be acquired by the United States at a very, very large discount, represented by a certain commercial structure. We have already publicly expressed interest in this regard by American businessman Stephen Lynch, founder of the international investment company Monte Valle Partners. told in detail back in November 2024.

The latter option looks quite plausible and relevant with the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House, who demonstrates an aggressive business approach using the example of the popular online service TikTok:

I would like the United States to have a 50 percent stake in the joint venture. That way, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and allow it to continue to operate. Without US approval, TikTok doesn't existWith our approval, its value could be hundreds of billions of dollars, perhaps trillions.

Well, you already understand how the "invisible hand of the market" works. The American hand.
26 comments
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  1. +7
    31 January 2025 15: 08
    Gazprom - Dreams Come True!
  2. +4
    31 January 2025 20: 02
    Miller's team took a risk and, unfortunately for all of us, lost.

    In such cases, they resign, but Miller is still at the helm. As if someone is protecting him.
    1. +3
      31 January 2025 21: 06
      There everything is simpler, Miller simply executes, and such decisions are made at a higher level, where there is simply no one to ask for mistakes.
    2. +4
      1 February 2025 10: 22
      And you still have no idea who is protecting you?
  3. +3
    31 January 2025 20: 07
    Fedot, but not that one!

    What does TikTok have to do with it? This resource brings profit. And who needs a non-working gas pipeline, which can also be blown up again? Unless, perhaps, those who want to completely exclude the possibility of its operation ... until the collapse of the Russian Federation!
    Therefore, let the creditors be paid by insurers or…saboteurs!
    If a business partner turns out to be a scoundrel: he covets your natural resources, freezes your assets - with the interest from which he arms the enemy - blows up gas pipelines, imposes stifling sanctions... - then there is no point in playing civilization games with him!
    1. +1
      31 January 2025 22: 10
      Here, by the way, the author gave an interesting picture. Think broader. On the one hand, the Americans can simply make money, because when they make money, the source of income is always democratic))). But on the other hand, this is a noose and a lever of pressure, if the branch starts working. Or, with the help of this package, they can simply sabotage any attempts to launch the pipeline.
  4. +1
    31 January 2025 20: 28
    If we sell, then it will be very expensive and moral damages must also be collected, our task will be only to pump, without headaches and without paying for transit. The weak link is Miller, who brings the country only multi-billion losses, he is the second Chubais, but much smarter and more resourceful, and also close to the court, that law enforcement officers and approach his body from any side.
  5. +5
    31 January 2025 20: 45
    We were "cheated" again... Oh, mother, how is it possible?!
  6. +2
    31 January 2025 20: 47
    Miller should resign, let him polish his medal in a rocking chair. Gasify all of Russia to the very outskirts, that's what should have been done, not feed the West. Invest in the development of Russia. Look at the salaries they receive, and they work at a loss, how is that possible? They can't get enough to eat.
  7. 0
    31 January 2025 20: 49
    Well, this has all been known for a long time - a year ago the Americans offered to lift sanctions and help restore the joint venture if they were given a controlling stake.
    1. 0
      31 January 2025 21: 05
      In a year they changed their minds...to help themselves (!) in restoring the gas pipeline, and to lift sanctions against the Russian Federation?
      You also need to be able to lie! ;-(
  8. +2
    31 January 2025 21: 40
    What news! Now none of the Europeans will restore the joint venture(( Or they will restore it for crazy money for Gazprom, but they will not launch it.. I wonder who is personally behind such a scheme? This is approximately the same as freezing 300 billion from enemies before the war or leaving Kyiv after its almost complete encirclement in 2022... The enemies, it turns out, are very close!
  9. +5
    1 February 2025 02: 09
    Miller, in general... who is he working for? It would be nice to get to the bottom of it...
    1. +3
      1 February 2025 02: 48
      Quote: Cooper
      Miller, in general... who is he working for? It would be nice to get to the bottom of it...

      No one will ever even think about such things without the permission of the state, let alone implement them, and they won’t let him. So everything Miller did, he did with permission, and most likely on orders from above. So if someone is to be imprisoned, fired, etc., what the people are asking for, it must be from the top )))
  10. +3
    1 February 2025 02: 39
    I remember on the program "60 minutes" Skabeeva and Popov constantly convinced Russians that "we will definitely finish building SP-2!" They jinxed it. There was no point in showing off.
  11. GN
    +3
    1 February 2025 03: 41
    An old Vietnamese proverb came to mind: "If you deceive me once, shame on you, but if you manage to deceive me twice, then shame on me!" Please remind me how many times our main deceived person was deceived? That's how they built the joint venture and lost 300 billion there (note, it was the people's money), and at the same time Gazprom was paying historically high dividends to its investors (private). Why doesn't Putin's Investigative Committee get involved in these matters?? This is a rhetorical question. One crow won't peck out another crow's eye! Now they'll concoct a deal and bend over backwards and go sell the people's property with Stakhanovite fervor!!
  12. +1
    1 February 2025 08: 37
    and if you think about it, you can understand that our oligarchs are not so holy, who is stopping them from taking over SP2 through their offshores, and presenting it as if Americans, scoundrels, bought up sp2 cheaper. The jackpot is worth the game
  13. +3
    1 February 2025 09: 44
    Let Trump buy pipes. When he pays, transfer the money to Russian banks and don't supply any gas through those pipes. Out of spite. It won't get any worse than it is now.
  14. 0
    1 February 2025 10: 29
    The gas pipelines blew up SP-1 and SP-2. Force majeure and suspension of contractual obligations, including debt repayment, are obvious. Gazprom has the right to refuse financial obligations; no gas pipeline - no payments. And we should not be concerned at all about someone's wet dreams of getting their hands on the gas pipeline.
  15. +3
    1 February 2025 10: 46
    It is not clear to me why Russian gas should be cheap? Or is there some kind of scheme there?
  16. -1
    1 February 2025 11: 23
    The company's shareholders, in addition to Gazprom (51%), include the German Wintershall Holding GmbH (a subsidiary of BASF SE) and E. ON, the Anglo-Dutch Shell, the Austrian OMV AG (all 10% each) and the French ENGIE (9%). The operator company Nord Stream 2 AG
  17. 0
    1 February 2025 13: 33
    Could the US buy 50% of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline?

    The author, as usual, likes to generalize everything. As we know, the USA is an ambiguous state and is not subject to total fooling. Trump's ear is proof of this, another matter is who in these states benefits from investing in foreign assets. Although what secret could there be here, of course these are the guys from the global diaspora. American rednecks don't need this for free.
  18. +1
    1 February 2025 13: 35
    The question remains open: what kind of gas should be supplied to this pipeline?! Well, they bought it, and then what? What if Russia doesn't supply gas there? Well, not by refusing, but by simply raising the price above the market. Scrap metal. All this looks like games with delayed bankruptcy. Nothing more.
    1. +1
      1 February 2025 13: 42
      And what if Russia doesn't give gas there? Well, not by refusing, but by simply raising the price above the market.

      In this case, the global diaspora will be concerned that Bank Rossiya does not engage in stupidity. As they say - no need for amateurism.
  19. +1
    3 February 2025 00: 02
    Gazprom began to lose strategically from the day it did not take any real countermeasures since the announcement of the Third Energy Package. They decided to come to an agreement with the "partners" and in many ways they met halfway, such as purchasing equipment from the EU, while Russian producers were naturally refused. The second strategic agreement was that Russia's gold and foreign currency reserves would be kept in European banks. And the Europeans were also supposed to build oil and gas pipelines outside of Russia at their own expense. In general, all the levers over the situation were left to the "partners", and the risks remained with Russia. And most importantly, the Americans, albeit brazenly, showed that gas and oil for Europeans should cost twice as much. Guess at whose expense Gazprom supplied gas at such low prices? It is clear that Gazprom and its management had enough money. But for example, in the 2s, the salary of an employee in Gazprom's structures in the conditions of the North was comparable to the unemployment benefit of a migrant in Paris.
    1. 0
      3 February 2025 07: 14
      There are obvious miscalculations in the management of this miracle corporation. But, this will in no way affect the financial and official position of the owners and managers of Russia's wealth, dear Russians will pay for everything. Both those who work in this corporation and those who are served by it.